Author Topic: KB - A Life in Football [new book]  (Read 3969 times)

Offline one-eyed

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KB - A Life in Football [new book]
« on: June 28, 2011, 05:11:57 PM »

KB - A Life In Football
Rhett Bartlett

$65.00
 
Product Information
Date published   August 2011
Pages   224 pages
Format   Hardback
Size   180mm x 228mm x 25mm
Weight   380 g
ISBN   978-1-921778-24-7


Overview

A first-person account of Kevin Bartlett's career as a player coach, media identity and football guardian.  What was it like to play in five premiership teams in 14 years, coach a club that was flat broke and even have the laws of the game changed because of the way he played the game?

Why did he part the club amid tremendous acrimony and why did he not return for more than 15 years? And what was the story behind the lace up jumpers?  All of this and more will be explained in his memoir, KB - A Life in Football.

About the author

Rhett Bartlett

The son of Richmond legend Kevin Bartlett, Rhett Bartlett grew up with the Tigers in his blood. A contributor for the AFL Record, Bartlett has also written for the Richmond Football Club website. An active member of the Richmond Museum Historical Group and the former Players & Officials Association, Bartlett works as a learning and development trainer.  'KB - A Life in Football' is his second book, after the 2008 release of Richmond F.C. "The Tigers" A Century of League Football.

http://www.slatterymedia.com/store/viewBook/kb---a-life-in-football

Offline one-eyed

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Back in Tiger fold, Bartlett regrets exile (Age)
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2011, 01:13:58 PM »
Back in Tiger fold, Bartlett regrets exile
Jake Niall
July 21, 2011


RICHMOND legend Kevin Bartlett has expressed regret that he remained estranged from the club for ''too long'' while revealing the rationale behind his 16-year self-imposed exile from Punt Rd.

In his book, KB: A Life in Football, Bartlett admits that he should have returned to Richmond when he was made an ''Immortal'' in 2000 when he sent his son Rhett to receive the award on his behalf. He calls this snub ''a wrong decision''.

Bartlett's exile was a protest that followed his sacking as coach at the end of the 1991 season after four years in the job.
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''Looking back, my stance went on for too long. I think I made my point that I was disappointed with the way the club had acted,'' Bartlett wrote in his book, which is to be released on August 2 and covers his 403 games and five premierships as a Richmond champion, his contentious sacking as coach and exile and his influential role on the AFL's laws of the game committee.

''My son represented me on the Immortal night but looking back I should have been there on the night to accept the accolade.''

Bartlett wrote that he was ''very thrilled'' to be a Richmond immortal in 2000.

''In looking back, I was too stubborn and I should have been there on the night, because the club had bestowed on me their highest individual honour.

''Instead I sent my son on my behalf. At the time it was a comfortable decision for me. But in hindsight it was a poor decision and a wrong decision.''

Bartlett said he stayed away because of the way he had been treated when he was sacked and that he also wanted to ''send a message to that board - or any board''.

''I came to the conclusion that the club didn't have any real respect for its people. If they sacked me without the least opportunity to meet to discuss where the club was at and what its strengths and weaknesses were after my four years as coach, then the ethos of the club had fundamentally changed and I no longer wanted to be part of it.

''It was a silent protest. I wanted to show the club that it could no longer treat people as it had done and that if it wanted to dispense of its coaches in the future in a similar fashion, there might be consequences.''

In the book, which was co-authored with son Rhett, who has written extensively about Richmond's history, Bartlett also reveals:

■That during his exile he was approached on multiple occasions to either run for the board or be part of an attempt to ''oust'' an administration.

■That famed club ''Godfather,'' the late Graeme Richmond, had asked media to undermine Bartlett when he was coach and had encouraged people to go down to the rooms and agitate for his removal.

■That, from his vantage point on the rules committee, the high mark is dead. ''I am really passionate in my belief that the high mark will never return as a permanent highlight in our game. It is dead. The players are so skilful, the keepings off nature of the game so ingrained.''

■That he decided to return to Punt Rd after a 2006 reunion of premiership players in which he spoke to Neville Crowe, the president who sacked him, and realised it was time to end his protest.

''My wife Denise, was also in my ear, telling me it was time to let go. I had made my point and it was time to move on.''

Bartlett said during his exile, ''I was approached to try and oust somebody, I was approached to join a group to challenge the board and was approached to support people running for the board.

''I may have stayed away for too long and I put my hand up for that because I can be stubborn at times.

''During that time, I made an absolute priority of never getting involved in the politics of the club and never criticising anyone individually … even though I was away 16 years, I wasn't bitter. Some people say I was, but there was no bitterness.''

Bartlett said many footy fans didn't understand the rules of the game. ''… I don't think many football supporters understand the laws of the game. They certainly don't appreciate how hard it is to umpire.''

Bartlett said after he was sacked as coach, a journalist who was close to Graeme Richmond told him ''Graeme had called a number of media friends to a lunch and put it on them to make life difficult for me. This journalist even went as far to say that Graeme deliberately sent people down to the dressing rooms after the game to be abusive towards the players and me, in an effort to create unrest.''

KB: A Life in Football is available at footybookclub.com

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/back-in-tiger-fold-bartlett-regrets-exile-20110720-1howc.html#ixzz1ShpOlKSo

Offline one-eyed

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Re: KB - A Life in Football [new book]
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2011, 10:04:39 PM »
I can confirm that there will be KB book signings at Northland , Eastland and Chadstone during the month of August/ Sept. More info to come

http://twitter.com/rhettrospective

Offline Fruity Morgan

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Re: KB - A Life in Football [new book]
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2011, 07:19:31 PM »
That greedy self serving bastard can stick it where the sun don't shine. Tried to get my 5 year old son to pay for an autograph on toy footy.

Offline Dice

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Re: KB - A Life in Football [new book]
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2011, 07:47:45 PM »
That greedy self serving bastard can stick it where the sun don't shine. Tried to get my 5 year old son to pay for an autograph on toy footy.

No way ?  fill us in Fruity
Tanking has put the club where it's at - Paul Roos

Offline Mr Magic

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Re: KB - A Life in Football [new book]
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2011, 10:50:17 AM »
That greedy self serving bastard can stick it where the sun don't shine. Tried to get my 5 year old son to pay for an autograph on toy footy.

'Hand over your pocket money kid' ;D

Anyone read the book yet?
Looks good.

Dubstep Dookie

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Re: KB - A Life in Football [new book]
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2011, 05:05:41 PM »
Kevin is now on the record stating he regrets his stand off with our club.

This stance was indicative of players and personnel of the era who thought they were bigger than the club.

Shame on him, and all those similar

Offline Mr Magic

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Re: KB - A Life in Football [new book]
« Reply #7 on: July 29, 2011, 05:18:09 PM »
Kevin is now on the record stating he regrets his stand off with our club.

Better late than never. Forgive and move on.

Dubstep Dookie

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Re: KB - A Life in Football [new book]
« Reply #8 on: July 29, 2011, 05:34:20 PM »
Kevin is now on the record stating he regrets his stand off with our club.

Better late than never. Forgive and move on.

Yep mate. Happy to forgive, as long as the lesson remains to all.  :thumbsup

Offline Fruity Morgan

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Re: KB - A Life in Football [new book]
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2011, 09:15:09 AM »
He told me that my kid would probably stick the footy on Ebay and make a quid.  I was angry with him until i realised how pathetic he was.  Pretty hard to explain to my little fella though.

Online Hard Roar Tiger

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Re: KB - A Life in Football [new book]
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2011, 09:32:13 AM »
He told me that my kid would probably stick the footy on Ebay and make a quid.  I was angry with him until i realised how pathetic he was.  Pretty hard to explain to my little fella though.

When did this happen?
 Unbelievable.
“I find it nearly impossible to make those judgments, but he is certainly up there with the really important ones, he is certainly up there with the Francis Bourkes and the Royce Harts and the Kevin Bartlett and the Kevin Sheedys, there is no doubt about that,” Balme said.

Offline one-eyed

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Re: KB - A Life in Football [new book]
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2011, 08:10:52 PM »
Book - KB A Life In Football (Signed)

Supplier: Slattery Media
Price: $64.95

Description

A first-person account of Kevin Bartlett’s career as a player, coach, media identity and football guardian. What was it like to play in five premiership teams in 13 years, coach a club that was flat broke and even have the laws of the game changed because of the way he played the game?

Why did he part the club amid tremendous acrimony and why did he not return for more than 15 years? And what was the story behind the lace-up jumpers?

First 250 copies will come personally signed.

ALL SIGNED COPIES ARE CURRENTLY FOR PRE ORDER. These are being signed August 10

The books will be dispatched from the club Thursday August 11. Please allow up to 10 business for delivery with Australia Post

https://secure.shopdesq.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Product&ProductID=21330&OrgID=1751


Also here's some pics of the book release today with KB recreating his trip when trying to break through the banner...

http://www.aflphotos.com.au/galleries/results/?q=collection:AFL%202011%20Media%20-%20KB%20-%20A%20Life%20In%20Football%20Book%20Launch&image_id=239086

Offline one-eyed

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Re: KB - A Life in Football [new book]
« Reply #12 on: August 02, 2011, 08:13:33 PM »
In this extract from his new book, KB: A life in football, published by Slattery Media, Bartlett explains the lead-up to playing his 400th match.


It was the man who opened the door for me the very first time I went to Punt Road who planted the seed for me to play 400 games of League football.

Bill Boromeo sent me a congratulatory note after I played my 300th game, but it was this footnote to his lovely letter - ‘Why not 400?’ - that struck a chord with me.

I read it as a challenge: to continue to play on and to continue to enjoy playing. It was unthinkable at the time for someone to play 400 games.

But that question, posed by a lifelong friend and mentor, gave me the impetus to try...


Read more at: http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/119984/default.aspx